State of the Environment

2006

Indicator: CO-69 Research/examples relating to declines in marine biodiversity and/or the role of genetic diversity in ecosystem resilience

Data

No examples identified.

It is not clear whether there is any way of measuring ‘genetic diversity’ across all the species, either marine or terrestrial, in an entire continental ecosystem, other than by the diversity of and within species.

Population size is crucial to genetic diversity so many of the species listed as threatened due to low population size will be facing a loss of genetic diversity. It may at some stage be possible to extrapolate a crude indicator of rate of loss of genetic diversity from the rate of increase in species whose populations or distribution are declining. However, this rate of increase currently reflects the rate at which knowledge of the populations of species is increasing rather than the rate at which populations of species are declining.

Issues for which this is an indicator and why

Coasts and Oceans — Condition of the ocean and coastal waters - Condition of marine genetic diversity 

At present, examples of species whose genetic diversity is declining, particularly where the decline can be directly related to a human pressure, are the only meaningful indicators available for condition of genetic diversity more broadly.

Biodiversity — Species, habitats and ecological communities - Genetic diversity 

Examples and research into loss of biodiversity in particular species, or into the role of genetic diversity in ecosystem resilience, may provide insight into this issue.

Other indicators for this issue:

Further Information

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